Liberal Democrats policies

We've waded through the Liberal Democrats manifesto, so you don't have to. But if you feel we've missed something important, let us know.

Family

Abolish Child Trust Funds

Introduce 18 months of shared, paid parental leave from when a child is born when economy improves

Give fathers right to time off to attend ante-natal appointments

Right to apply for flexible working extended to all – to allow working grandparents to help with childcare

Fix tax credit payments for six months with exceptions for emergency situations only

Introduce a Default Contact Arrangement to divide a child’s time between their two parents in the event of family breakdown, if there is no threat to the safety of the child.

Tax

Raise the Income Tax threshold to £10k

Scrap Council Tax and replace with local tax based on ability to pay

Replace Air Passenger Duty with a per-plane tax and introduce domestic flight tax where alternativer realistic, less polluting transport is available.

Introduction of 1% 'Mansion Tax' on properties worth over £2m

Tax capital gains at the same rates as income.

Restrict tax relief on pension contributions to the basic rate

Early years

Protect existing childcare support arrangements until economy improves, allowing move to 20 hours free childcare for every child, from the age of 18 months

Support Surestart. Would continue to fund it at the current proposed level but think it should concentrate more on outreach work to make sure it is reaching the families that need it the most

Would keep the existing arrangements for childcare vouchers

'The Liberal Democrats believe in a fair society, parents should be supported so they can spend meaningful time with their young children, and given more help so childcare is affordable. We will allow parents to share leave between them so they can arrange family life in the way that suits them best. We will cut taxes for families on low and middle incomes. And, to make life easier for families, we will change the way tax credits are paid so you can rely on them and don't face the nightmare of having to pay back thousands of pounds.'

Education

Extra £2.5bn to spend on schools to spend on most disadvantage pupils, allowing them to choose to cut class sizes or hire more teachers.

SEN tests for all five-year-olds

Reduced KS2 tests at 11 – with more teacher-based assessment

Replace the 600 page national curriculum with a 20 page Minimum Curriculum Guarantee.

Create a general diploma bringing GCSEs, vocational qualifications and A-levels together

Scrap university tuition fees for first degrees

Stop the establishment of new schools which select by ability, aptitude or faith and phase out selection by faith in all state-funded schools within five years

Reform school league tables

Economy

Cap public sector pay rises to £400 for two years,

10% levy on bank profits with a view to breaking up the banking system

Introduction of regional stock exchanges

Restoring the link between pensions and earnings

Force energy companies to change tariffs so that first energy you use is the cheapest

Health

NHS – pay for people to go private if the NHS can't treat with the agreed target time

Increase salaries for GPs in deprived areas with the worst health,

Tests of competence and language for doctors

Halve the amount the NHS spends on advertising and marketing

Crime

3000 more police on the beat

Make hospitals and police work together to identify knife and violent crime hotspots

All prisoners to work and pay funds into a victim compensation fund

Make the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs completely independent of government

Cancel prison-building programme

Environment

Eco cashback scheme to give homeowners £400 if they install double glazing, replace an old boiler or install micro-generation

Insulating all homes to a good standard within 10 years

40% of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020 rising to 100 per cent by 2050

Funds for schools wanting to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings

Investing £140 million in a bus scrappage scheme to replace old, polluting buses

Blocking any new coal-fired power stations or nuclear power stations

Defence

Bringing the basic pay of lower ranks and NCOs in line with equivalent police ranks

Doubling the number of forces' family homes refurbished from around 800 to

around 1600 per year

Won't renew Trident

Reduction in civilian staff in MOD and reduction in officer ranks

Politics

Introduction of Proportional Representation

Reduce voting age to 16

Introduce fixed term parliaments

Cap donations at £10k

Allowing recall of MP suspended for wrongdoing

Transport and technology

Cancel plans for third runway at Heathrow

Introduction of road user pricing

Foreign aid

Aim to reduce cost of people from emigrant communities wiring money home

Reach the UN target of 0.7 per cent of GNI by 2013

Will work towards a post-aid world, based around global alliances and seek ways to reduce dependency and restore local accountability.